Combination divider, inside and outside caliper



E. M. HELLUM 2,221,768

INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OALIPER Nov. 19, 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 COMBINATION DIVIDER,

Filed Sept. 6, 1958 ATTORNEYS NOV. 19, 1940. HELLUM c 2,221,768

COMBINATION DIVIDER, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE CALIPER Filed Sept. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcli p colvinrna'rioN DIVIDER, INSIDE AND OUTSIDE CALIBER Erling M. Hellum, Duluth, Minn;

Application September 6, 1938, Serial No. 228,672

2 Claims (01. 33-149) vantages to be attained, as will hereinafter more. fully appear, the invention consists in the general This invention relates to combination tools and more particularly to a convertible and adjustable instrument to be used as a divider, or an inside and outside caliper.

The invention has for its principal object to improve upon such combination instruments by simplifying the structure in general and providing a more practical means of attachment and adjustment for the difi'erent legs.

A further object is to minimize the number of separate leg elements necessary in the conversion of the tool for its diiierent uses and at the same time provide for a wider range in the spread of the tool in use.

With the foregoing, and other objects and adof the tool as arranged in-Figur'e 3;

Figure 5 is a face elevation of the tool arranged as an outside caliper;

figure 6 is an edge elevation of the tool as arranged in Figure 5; t

Figure 'l is a face view of a detached leg member that is used interchangeably in adaptingthe tool for use either as a divider or inside caliper; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, taken on or about the line 8-8 of Figure 5. i Referringnow tothe drawings, the tool therein shown comprises a pair of main body bars [0 which are hinged together near their upper ends -as at H, said bars being cooperatively engaged above the axis of the hinge l l by the end portions of a circular spring element H which is con-. stantly under tension and exerting its force to,

ceive detachable adjustable leg members as will presently more fully appear.

The slots. [5 extend some distance in the bars Ill above the out turned end portions [4, the inner ends of theslots terminating adjacent an j ng screw [B which is attached at one end to a swivel stud H on one of the bars I!) and ex I tending therefrom through an apertured swivel stud Won the opposite bar In, the outer end of the screw having a knob l9 thereon. Workingv on the screw it is a knurlednut 20,,which abuts the swivel stud l8 so thatv by adjusting the nutv on the screw the spread of pthebars Ill maybe the action of the spring element .l2, as hereinabove described, and it being only necessary. to rotate the nut and thereby move it inward or outward on the screw IE to control the spread of the bars.

The slotted free end portions of the bars are provided with screw threaded apertures 2| near. the ends of the bars and also where the inclined portions I 4 merge with the main body portions of the bars, that is to say, aligned apertures of the same size are provided at these points in the pair of branches p-roducedby slotting the end portions of the bars. Each aligned pair of screw threaded apertures 2| receives a similar screw element 22 which is utilized not only asja clamping screyv but also as asetscrew, as will be later.

more fully described. Each screw element 22, is

provided with a knurled manipulating head 23 and a portion of the screw next to the head 23.

is reduced in diameter, as at 24, providing a neck portion without threads which is of a diameter equal to or less than'that of the body of the screw less the depth of the threads. g 7,

Normally, outside caliper legs ,25, having curved, tapering end portions '26 and apertured opposite end portions, arehingedly mounted on] the endmost screw elements 22 in the slotted end portions M of'the bars l0 In most instances in which the tool is converted for its respective uses, these leg members are carried on the bars In. at the same time with additional leg members 21 which are utilized in adapting the tool as a divider or inside caliper, said leg members, 21

being each pointed at one end, as at 28, and formed with a curved lateral oflsetifl at its op posite end. One of the leg membersZl is shown detached in Figure 7, while the manner of carrying a pairof said members on the bars ID of the tool out of the way of the applied pair of outside caliper leg members 25 is shown in Figure 5, in

which relation the legs 25 are clamped by the lower screw element 22 while the adjacent end portions of the leg members 21 which are inserted in the slots I5 f the bars ID are held by the clamping effect of both the outer and the inner screw elements 22. In this connection, it is obvious that either the pointed ends 28 or the rounded offset end portions 29 of said legs 21 may be inserted and secured in the slotted portions of the bars ID with the same effect.

In the assembly illustrated in Figure 5, leg members 21 positioned as they are on the bars Ill do not interfere in any way with the use of the tool as an outside caliper, it being obvious that the bars II) can be adjusted in any relatively spread position by manipulating the nut 20 on the adjusting screw 16 while at the same time the leg members 25 may be swung to different positions about the axes of their respective sup porting and clamping screws 22.

Inthe use of the tool as a divider, as shown in Figure 1, or an inside caliper, as shown in Figure 3, it is only necessary to loosen the four screw elements 22 and shift the leg members 21 to the positions shown in full lines in Figure 1 and Figure 3, with. either the pointed ends 28 or the rounded oifset ends 29, as the case may be, downward, and then swing the outside caliper legs 25 up to the position shown in full lines in Figure 1 and dotted lines in Figure 3, after which the two lowermost screw elements 22 are again tightened with clamping efl'ect, while the two upper screw elementsare inserted in only one of the pair of aligned openings 2| with setscrew effect against the adjacent portions of the leg members 27 inserted in the slots l5. In the arrangement of the leg members 21 as shown in full lines in Figure 1 is the arrangement of the tool as a divider or as also shown in full lines in Figure 3 with the leg members 2! in an inside caliper arrangement, the leg members 25 in the upper position shown offer no interference in the respective uses for which thetool has been converted. However, should occasion require an exceptionally wide spread of the leg members 2'! in use either as a divider or inside caliper, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the outside caliper legs 25 are detached from the bars ID by withdrawing the endmost pair of screw elements 22 and readjusting the leg members 21 by setting them in longitudinal alignment with the inclined end portions M of the bars ID as shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3. In this connection it is noted that in Figure 1 said leg members 2! are extended longitudinally so as to increase the effective working length of the legs as well as increase the spread thereof, in, which case, or course, only theendmost screw element 22 im-- pinges each leg member 21 but the clamping effect upon the inner end portion of the leg member within the slot I 5 above the lower screw, whichis functioning merely with a set screw effect, ishad by utilizing the upper screw element as a clamping screw. It is further obvious that the leg members 21 need not, of necessity,

be set in direct longitudinal alignment with the end portions 14 of the bars I!) as shown inFigures 1 and 3, but they maybe set either inwardly or outwardly out of exact longitudinal alignment -75 therewith and yet the inner end portions of said leg members may be readily secured in the slotted portion l5 by either clamping or set screw effect of the screw elements 22.

While the particular curved ofiset end portions 29 of the leg members 21 are primarily designed for the purpose of adapting the tool for use as an inside caliper, there may be some instances where said leg members may be applied to the bars NJ to adapt the tool as an outside caliper by merely placing said leg members with said rounded ofi-set end portions 29 set inwardly toward each other.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a simple and convenient combination tool is provided which is readily convertible for use as a divider or inside and outside caliper, at will, and In which the several leg members when not set for the particular use intended are conveniently carried on the tool out of the way of the leg members which are set for use.

While the structure illustrated in the drawings illustrates a practical embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that considerable modification may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination tool of the character described, a hinged pair of main supporting bars, each bar being slotted longitudinally at its free end portion to provide a bifurcation for the reception of interchangeable leg members, the opposed branches formed by the slotting of said supporting bars being provided with aligned pairs of screw threaded apertures for the reception of screw elements whereby to retain the end portions of the leg members inserted between the branches, and screw elements selectively insertable one each in one of the apertures of the respective aligned pairs whereby to directly impinge the adjacent portion of the leg member inserted between the branches of the supporting bar with setscrew effect, said screw element being alternatively inserted with threaded engagement in both apertures of the aligned pair whereby to clamp the branches of the supporting bar upon the inserted portion of the leg memher.

2. The herein described tool, comprising a pair of main supporting bars pivotally joined adjacent one end and having their opposite end portions turned angularly away from each other and slotted longitudinally to provide bifurcations for the reception of detachable and interchangeable working leg members, the opposed branches of the bifurcation of each main supporting bar end portion being provided with alined pairs of screw-threaded apertures, and screw elements insertable selectively and alternatively in either one or both of the apertures of each alined pair thereof whereby to either pivotally support and clamp an apertured leg member in the bifurcation by insertion of a screw element in one aperture of an alined pair and through the aperture of the leg member and into the other aperture of the pair, or to secure a leg member fitted slidably for its longitudinal adjus'tment in the bifurcation with either set screw effect against the leg member by the application of the screw element in one aperture of an alined pair thereof or with clamping efiect by insertion of the screw element in both apertures of an alined pair at the side of the leg member.

ER/LING M. HELLUM. 

